The Bathroom Renovation Checklist

We know how it feels when you begin a renovation, full of big plans, grand ideas and dreams of how beautiful your new bathroom is going to be.

Well, before you get carried away and start tearing out fixtures and prying up old floorboards, we have compiled a simple checklist of ten things for you to do before you start your bathroom renovation, just to make sure that all of your bases are covered.

1. Budget

When renovating, you really don’t want to leave yourself short - budget for your essentials first, then once you have a solid budget you can start moving things around to afford those little luxuries.

Bonus tip: You also need to consider the timeframe for your renovation as losing use of a bathroom for a long period of time obviously requires some forward planning! Like we said, you don’t want to leave yourself short...

2. Measurements

We cannot stress this one enough - a large proportion of problems encountered during a DIY renovation can be avoided by proper planning and taking measurements. Remember that this includes the location and size of your water pipes, so you can work out where you want your new fixtures to go.

3. Planning Permission and Regulations

It is always wise to check any regulations and planning permissions before you start a renovation or new build - are you adding a bathroom? What steps do you need to take to ensure a safe working environment? What do you have to do to ensure water and electricity is safe and unaffected during your work?

Please note that although a renovation of a bathroom will not usually require approval, if you are adding a bathroom to your property then building regulations approval is needed more often than not to ensure adequate drainage, electricity, structural stability and health and safety.

If you are in any doubt over regulations and planning, please contact your local planning authority.

4. Ventilation

You need to ensure that your bathroom has an appropriate amount of ventilation. There are three ways you can achieve the proper levels of ventilation in your bathroom.

Purge : This is an openable window of any size.

Whole Building : Trickle ventilation usually built into the frame around the window, although there are other ways. For a bathroom, the area of ventilation should be 4000mm2

Mechanical extract fans : A bathroom with no openable window should be serviced by a mechanical fan. These fans are rated by litres per second and the type of bathroom you have changes the type of fan that you need:

Bath/Shower - 15 litres per second with a 15 minute overrun once the light is switched off.

WC - 6 litres per second with overrun.

5. Design Details

Your bathroom is a very personal place. It is the first room that greets you every morning, so when you plan your bathroom, it is equally important that you plan a space you will love and be comfortable with for years to come, as it is that you get the functional aspects of bathroom planning all correct.

Exactly what you can have in your bathroom is a budget issue, however there are some early decisions you can make, such as whether or not you are going to have a bath or a shower in your bathroom, whether you are going to go modern or traditional and what kind of storage you will need.

6. Quality tradesmen

There will be some jobs during your renovation that you are happy to do yourself, and this does of course completely depend on your DIY skill levels. However, it is likely that there are to be a few jobs that you will be unable to complete, or that you would rather hire a professional to complete for you.

Make sure you choose a tradesman with a good track record, all the correct documents and a clear understanding of what it is you want from your bathroom.

7. Flooring

Your bathroom will get more traffic than any other room in your house, so you need to choose flooring that will last as well as look stylish. This way you can be sure you won’t be replacing or renovating again anytime soon.

There are lots of options for materials, with lots of different looks and feels, but we recommend tiled flooring - a classic look that can be done in so many different ways.

8. Consider Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating removes that annoyance from your life that we have all experienced - stepping into a dim bathroom first thing in the morning only to recoil in horror as your foot hits the ice-cold floor.

With underfloor heating, your bathroom can be a warm, cosy haven all year long, and there is no better time to instal than when you’re already doing a renovation.

9. Taps, Wastes, Showers and Valves

One of the easiest ways to establish a style in your bathroom is to choose taps, wastes, showers and valves that coordinate and create a cohesive message.

You can broadly split your options into modern and traditional. Modern fixtures feature unusual designs and sloping or angled shapes, while more traditional fixtures make use of Victorian and Edwardian inspirations, referencing a more delicate time for an elegant look.

10. Electricity and Lighting

Lighting is extremely important in your bathroom, as it is not simply the place where you brush your teeth, but a place your relax and unwind, prepare for the day ahead or let your troubles melt away. You will spend hours and hours in your bathroom, so you need lighting that is just right. Try to think about the areas of your bathroom that require light, and consider a dimmer to provide bright lights when you need it, and a more relaxing ambiance when it’s time to wind down.

Bonus Tip: You can keep costs lower by avoiding moving your existing electrical set up, and you can always choose energy saving lighting in your bathroom like halogen or fluorescent lights - these are more energy efficient and can help keep your bills down.

These are just some ways you can try and make sure you go into your renovation well prepared. We would love to see some pictures of your own renovations in progress, so email in to info@victorianplumbing.co.uk and we will
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Alex

Alex is one of our bathroom bloggers here at Victorian Plumbing. You'll find him regularly blogging about fun bathroom ideas and trends as well as writing expert 'how to' step-by-step DIY guides.